Improvement in car-couplings



'UNITED` STATES vPATENT OFFICE.

JOHNv SLADE, OF BAY CITY, MICHIGAN.

IMPROVEMENT IN CAR-COUPLJNGS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. l 82,136, datedSeptember 12, 1876; application filed January 29, 1876.

' cation:

The invention is an improvement in the class of car-couplingswhose chiefelements are pivoted hooks, arranged to couple automatically. l

The invention relates particularly to the form of the shank of thehooks, and to the provision of beveled blocks, attached to the side ofthe hooks, whereby the latter are adapted to be uncou pled when raisedto a slight angle, as hereinafter described.

Figure l is a longitudinal sectional elevation of a couple of carscoupled with my improvedcoupling; Fig. 2, an end elevation of one of thecars, and Fig. 3 a plan of one of the couplings; Fig. 4, a detail viewrepresenting the hooks in the act ot' disengaging.

A represents the couplings, Which are pivoted in the draw-bars at B, andeach provided With a hook, C, and a catch, D, for coupling with theother. The catch D is a triangular or beveled block, and is attached toor formed solid on the side of the coupling-bar. When the couplers cometogether the hooks ride up on the catches and fall behind them forcouphas a projection at a, on the under side, contiguous to the recessin the hook proper. In consequence of this form of the hooks and theprovision of. the beveled block D on the side of each, they are adaptedto uncouple Whenever raised to an angle of about thirty or thirty-tivedegrees, as in Fig. 4. In such case the projection a bears upon the endof the block D on the opposite hook, and frees its own hook from theblock by the leverage thus exerted. It is apparent that the raising ofeither hook causes the other to be raised also. F is a rod foruncoupling fromy the top of a freight-car, and G is a rod, and H abell-crank, for uncoupling from the side; but these can be contrived inany approved Way.

What I claim is- The coupling-hooks, constructed as shown, each havingthe projection a. on the under side, and the beveled block D, attachedcontiguously to the side thereof, in combination with the recesseddraw-heads, as shown and described, to operate as specified.

JOHN SLADE.

